I Love You
by Olympian876
Summary: Annabeth died... What does Percy think?  ONESHOT


There it was, that dreary black casket peppered with powdery snow at Grey Hill Cemetary. Inside had to be my one true love. Annabeth. It was a month ago when I got that call.

"Mr. Jackson," a sympathetic male voice said over the phone, "Your wife, Annabeth has been in an accident. She is being transported to the nearest hospital."

My mind wandered back to reality and on to the minister at the funeral, saying that Annabeth was dearly loved and died too soon, acting as if nobody knew that, despite the audience knowing her better than he did. Then, my first visit to the hospital came to mind. As I entered the stark, white, disinfectant smelling corridor of the hospital, my heart sank to my feet just by being there and seeing Annabeth, the beautiful Daughter of Athena in a hospital bed was almost too much for me to bear. The sadness turned to anger towards the person who had put her here to begin with. A driver had ignored a red light and hit her car on the driver's side. She had been knocked unconsious instantly. She had finally awoken and I was ready to see her. I entered her room to find a battered, bruised girl covered in bandages. The only way I knew it was her was the faint cry of "Perseus", coming from her.

"Annabeth, how are you?" I asked worrying.

"Horrible," she replied.

"How bad?" I asked.

"So painful, I can't even begin to explain," she answered. Then, she let out a cry of pain and I was whisked out of the room, and told to visit the next day.

"Ugh, I can't believe you!" I yelled, "That's my wife! My freaking wife!"

I was snapped out of flashback mode by a sobbing and shouting Athena.

"Look Lady Athena, things like these happen. People live and people die. Not a reason to cry yourself dry." replied an insensitive Nico.

"Not a reason. Not a reason! A close friend dies and your not the slightest bit sad? You disgust me! Just get out of my sight, Nico di Angelo! I don't want to see you!"

Athena's sobs intensified into wails and she crumpled to the snow on her knees. Everybody left the cold cemetery except Athena and I.

It felt awful to have to be so angry at something that wasn't your fault?. How could I carry so much guilt? Why was I so caring? I zoomed back to flashback. I had visited Annabeth whenever I could. Every time I went, Annabeth got paler, thinner, and her voice got hoarser and softer. She started to match the color of the hospital bed. She strained herself to talk, but she managed to communicate. She'd say just about everything except one thing. That one thing was I love you. Was she giving me up? Did she no longer care for me? I was so engrossed in these thoughts that I shugged off a nurse whispering,

"Should we tell him she probably won't make it?" On my last visit.

After hearing this I ran out of the hospital. I ran for miles until I thought I had forgotten it. But it came back rushing like a horrible flood. Then, a week ago, Rachel called and said that Annabeth had died of internal bleeding. I got the official news an hour later. I was devastated. She had stayed alive for so long yet she had to die then. I didn't care about the massive amounts of pity and people offering a crying shoulder. All I thought about was wondering if Annabeth loved me when she died. As I watched the casket being lowered into the pit they had dug, I finally started to cry. The warm rivulets of saline liquid ran down my face, off my chin, and onto the ground, making pockmarks in the snow. Instead I just stared at her tombstone:

Annabeth Chase

1993 - 2020

Then I looked at the casket. Why would she have a black casket? She had always never liked the color black.

I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around, it was Athena. Her eyes were bloodshot from crying.

"I'm sorry, Perseus," she said.

"Thanks." I said a little shocked. Athena never liked me.

"Annabeth would have liked this. She always wanted us to get along one way or another," Athena explained.

"She did want that, but why are you here?" I asked.

"I have to give you something. From Annabeth," she answered.

"What?" I asked concerned.

"I visited Annabeth too. If she died, she said I'd have to give this to you."

Annabeth gave me a scrap of paper folded in crumpled and tattered like it was with Annabeth for a while. I turned around and uncrumpled the paper. For a moment I just stared into space, hesitant to read Annabeth's last note to. I looked over my shoulder, and Athena had transformed into an owl, leaving only a trail of footprints in the snow which stopped halfway to the gates. I turned my head back to the note. It read "_I love you, Perseus..."_


End file.
